# NIST800 53 AC-2 — Account Management

- Source: https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/articles/a_gen_nist80053_ac2_0aecb461ec-nist800-53-ac-2-account-management
- Section: [Solutions](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions) › [NIST](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/62000112528) › [Access Control](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/folders/f_gen_62000112528_accesscontrol)
- Last updated: 2026-05-30
- Publisher: iCompaas, Inc. (https://www.icompaas.com)

NIST800 53 · Control AC-2 · Priority: high · Component: Access Control

### What this control covers

Define and document allowed and prohibited system account types. Assign account managers, set criteria for group/role membership, and specify authorized users, access privileges, and attributes. Require approvals for account creation, manage accounts per policy, monitor usage, and notify managers of changes. Authorize access based on valid authorization and usage. Review accounts regularly, manage shared account authenticators, and align with personnel processes. This control supports the Governance capability within the Access Control family.

### Why it matters

Risk is the language an executive team understands; this control connects technical reality to board-level decisions and budget allocation.

### How to implement

#### AWS

Codify the policy intent as **SCPs, AWS Config conformance packs, and Security Hub standards** so the cloud enforces what the document says.

#### Azure

Codify in **Azure Policy initiatives** (built-in regulatory compliance for CIS, ISO 27001, SOC 2, HIPAA) and assign at management-group level.

#### GCP

Use **Cloud Identity** (or Workspace) as the IdP and **IAM** for resource access. Grant roles at the lowest scope (project > folder > org) using **Workload Identity Federation** for CI/CD and **service accounts** for workloads — never download service-account keys when avoidable. Enable **Policy Intelligence** recommenders to right-size privileges and detect dormant identities.

#### Google Workspace

Enforce **2-Step Verification** (preferably hardware keys for admins) for the entire org, set session length to ≤ 12 hours, and disable less-secure-app access. Use **Context-Aware Access** levels to restrict admin sign-in by IP/device posture. Provision and de-provision users via **SCIM** from your HRIS so leavers lose access on day one.

#### GitHub

Require **SSO + SCIM** from your IdP on the organisation; enforce **2FA** org-wide and use **fine-grained PATs** (or, better, GitHub Apps) instead of classic tokens. Restrict **outside collaborators**, require signed commits on protected branches, and use **OIDC** from Actions to short-lived AWS/GCP/Azure credentials rather than stored secrets.

#### Zoho Mail

Make **two-factor authentication** mandatory for all users (TOTP, OneAuth, or YubiKey) in _Admin Console → Security_. Configure **SAML SSO** against your IdP and disable password-based logins for admins. Use **role-based privileges** (Admin / Spam Moderator / Mail Account Admin) and review the _Login history_ report monthly for anomalies.

#### On-premises

Maintain a policy library with a documented review cadence (annual minimum); store in your GRC tool with attestation tracking. Map each policy to controls so an audit pull cites the exact policy clause.

### Evidence to collect

-   `identity_scan` — See the iCompaas Evidence library for the canonical source for this evidence type.
-   `policy_document` — A signed, version-controlled policy stating leadership intent and the named owner.

Identity analytics (Okta, SailPoint, Access Analyzer) demonstrates least-privilege. Signed policy or standard documents the safeguard. Focus: Account Management.

### Quick checklist

-   Policy — Management / Accounts
-   Account — Management / Accounts
-   Usage — Management / Accounts
-   Access — Management / Accounts
-   Authorize — Management / Accounts
-   Review — Management / Accounts

### Related articles on this site

-   [Ensure Access Review is Set Up for External Users in Azure AD Privileged Identity Management (PIM](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/articles/62000229788-ensure-access-review-is-set-up-for-external-users-in-azure-ad-privileged-identity-management-pim)
-   [NIST 800-171 3.1.2 Limit system access to the types of transactions and functions that authorized users are permitted to execute.](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/articles/62000229224-nist-800-171-3-1-2-limit-system-access-to-the-types-of-transactions-and-functions-that-authorized-us)
-   [CMMC 2.0 AC.1.002 Limit system access to the types of transactions and functions that authorized users are permitted to execute.](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/articles/62000229380-cmmc-2-0-ac-1-002-limit-system-access-to-the-types-of-transactions-and-functions-that-authorized-user)
-   [Ensure that 'Owners can manage group membership requests in the Access Panel' is set to 'No'](https://support.icompaas.com/support/solutions/articles/62000219696-ensure-that-owners-can-manage-group-membership-requests-in-the-access-panel-is-set-to-no-)

## Related compliance guidance

- [NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5: a practical implementation guide for cloud teams](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-53-rev-5): How the 800-53 catalogue, baselines and the Risk Management Framework fit together, and which controls take the most work in the cloud.
- [NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC: a practical guide to protecting CUI in the cloud](https://support.icompaas.com/compliance/nist-sp-800-171-rev-3): If the driver is a DoD or federal contract handling CUI, 800-171 (and CMMC) is the scope you actually need.